Alcohol Intake and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Younger, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 121; no. 14; pp. 1589 - 1597
• Main Authors: HVIDTFELDT, Ulla A, TOLSTRUP, Janne S, SIMIN LIU, PEREIRA, Mark, PIETINEN, Pirjo, SPIEGELMAN, Donna, STEVENS, June, VIRTAMO, Jarmo, WILLETT, Walter C, RIMM, Eric B, ASCHERIO, Alberto, JAKOBSEN, Marianne U, HEITMANN, Berit L, GRØNBÆK, Morten, O'REILLY, Eilis, BÄLTER, Katarina, GOLDBOURT, Uri, HALLMANS, Göran, KNEKT, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 13.04.2010
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; age groups; Aged; alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; coronary disease; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; Coronary Disease - prevention & control; Coronary heart disease; Diseases of the peripheral vessels. Diseases of the vena cava. Miscellaneous; epidemiology; Female; Heart; Humans; Incidence; Male; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Risk; Risk Assessment; Sex Characteristics; Surveys and Questionnaires; coronary disease; Risk factor; Alcohol; Cardiovascular disease; alcohol consumption; Coronary heart disease; Epidemiology; age groups
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.109.887513

Light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. This protective effect of alcohol, however, may be confined to middle-aged or older individuals. Coronary heart disease incidence is low in men <40 years of age and in women <50 years of age; for this reason, study cohorts rarely have the power to investigate the effects of alcohol on coronary heart disease risk in younger adults. This study examined whether the beneficial effect of alcohol on coronary heart disease depends on age. In this pooled analysis of 8 prospective studies from North America and Europe including 192,067 women and 74,919 men free of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers at baseline, average daily alcohol intake was assessed at baseline with a food frequency or diet history questionnaire. An inverse association between alcohol and risk of coronary heart disease was observed in all age groups; hazard ratios among moderately drinking men (5.0 to 29.9 g/d) 39 to 50, 50 to 59, and >or=60 years of age were 0.58 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36 to 0.93), 0.72 (95% CI, 0.60 to 0.86), and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.97) compared with abstainers. However, the analyses indicated a smaller incidence rate difference between abstainers and moderate consumers in younger adults (incidence rate difference, 45 per 100,000; 90% CI, 8 to 84) than in middle-aged (incidence rate difference, 64 per 100,000; 90% CI, 24 to 102) and older (incidence rate difference, 89 per 100,000; 90% CI, 44 to 140) adults. Similar results were observed in women. Alcohol is also associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease in younger adults; however, the absolute risk was small compared with middle-aged and older adults.